Trooper’s patrol car goes airborne following high-speed chase, crash

A Georgia State Patrol trooper is recovering from minor injuries after a high-speed chase on the Downtown Connector ended in a crash.

The chase first started on I-85 South in the area of Clairmont Road, where the trooper tried to pull a white Ford Fusion over for speeding, according to the GSP.

The agency said the trooper positioned his patrol vehicle to stop the car, commonly known as a PIT maneuver, and both crashed about 10:30 p.m. Monday.

Both vehicles left the roadway near the bottom of the I-85 South ramp to Metropolitan Parkway.

“The violator vehicle spun across Metropolitan Parkway and into the woods on the south shoulder,” a GSP spokesman said in a statement. “The trooper’s vehicle slid straight across Metropolitan Parkway and went airborne into the woods on the south shoulder.”

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The trooper, who has not been identified, was briefly trapped inside the car before he was able to crawl out through a window.

He was treated at Atlanta Medical Center for bumps and bruises, Channel 2 Action News reported. He has since been released from the hospital.

The driver, 48-year-old Tyrone B. Breedlove, reportedly ran off into the wooded area and was caught an hour later by pursuing troopers. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and is currently detained.

Breedlove faces charges of fleeing, DUI and obstruction, among others, according to the GSP. He is on active probation and has no driver’s license, the agency said.

A 50-year-old passenger stayed on scene and was taken to Atlanta Medical Center after she complained of injuries.